Solo: A Star Wars Story
3/4
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany, Thandie Newton
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Sci-Fi Action/Violence
The advanced word for the Han Solo spin-off was unenthusiastic. Original director Josh Trank was fired due to the (mostly undeserved) bad press regarding his "Fantastic Four" reboot, and the subject of the film was changed from Boba Fett to Han Solo. Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were replaced by Ron Howard, who re-shot more than 80% of the movie. And up-and-coming actor Alden Ehrenreich was tasked with doing the impossible: replacing Harrison Ford in one of his iconic roles.
So the question remains? Is it as bad as the advance word would suggest? Hardly. I enjoyed myself immensely watching this movie. Don't get me wrong. The film has its share of problems, but the criticisms thrown at it are generally unwarranted.
Han (Ehrenreich) is a man on a mission. He is desperate to become a pilot so he can go back to the slave world where he grew up to free his girlfriend, Qi'ra (Clarke). To that end, he joins the Empire to become a pilot but deserts with a group of thieves and a Wookie named Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) who was supposed to execute him. When he screws up a heist, he and his mentor Beckett (Harrelson) make a deal with the gangster Dryden Vos (Bettany) to make up for it. And guess who he has under his employ? Together, they team up with a colorful poker player named Lando Calrissian (Glover) to deliver some dangerous material in record time.
Ordinarily, knowing the outcome of a story will hamper a movie's ability to create suspense and excitement. Not here. The action scenes are well-executed and exciting, and Howard keeps the story moving at a fast enough clip that we aren't given enough pause to remember that we know what's going to happen next. In general terms, at least. We know that Han, Chewie and Lando survive, but the others? Who knows?
I suppose I should have some measure of sympathy for Alden Ehrenreich, who has such a daunting task in front of him. But the truth is, he's uneven. He has his moments, but there are definitely times when he overplays his role and he rarely seems to be like Harrison Ford in the original trilogy. Chris Pine, who is often compared to Ford in his other roles, would have been a better choice. Emilia Clarke is much better, possibly because she's playing a new creation and not trying to recreate such a famous character. Woody Harrelson does his thing. Donald Glover is perhaps a bit too flamboyant as Lando, but he's not bad.
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" was never going to be as iconic as the original trilogy. It's a spin-off and should be viewed as such. It has enough action and heart to keep us engaged, some comedy (usually from Lando's robotic companion L3-37, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and good old-fashioned adventure. Most importantly, it feels like "Star Wars." You can't ask for much more than that.
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany, Thandie Newton
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Sci-Fi Action/Violence
The advanced word for the Han Solo spin-off was unenthusiastic. Original director Josh Trank was fired due to the (mostly undeserved) bad press regarding his "Fantastic Four" reboot, and the subject of the film was changed from Boba Fett to Han Solo. Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were replaced by Ron Howard, who re-shot more than 80% of the movie. And up-and-coming actor Alden Ehrenreich was tasked with doing the impossible: replacing Harrison Ford in one of his iconic roles.
So the question remains? Is it as bad as the advance word would suggest? Hardly. I enjoyed myself immensely watching this movie. Don't get me wrong. The film has its share of problems, but the criticisms thrown at it are generally unwarranted.
Han (Ehrenreich) is a man on a mission. He is desperate to become a pilot so he can go back to the slave world where he grew up to free his girlfriend, Qi'ra (Clarke). To that end, he joins the Empire to become a pilot but deserts with a group of thieves and a Wookie named Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) who was supposed to execute him. When he screws up a heist, he and his mentor Beckett (Harrelson) make a deal with the gangster Dryden Vos (Bettany) to make up for it. And guess who he has under his employ? Together, they team up with a colorful poker player named Lando Calrissian (Glover) to deliver some dangerous material in record time.
Ordinarily, knowing the outcome of a story will hamper a movie's ability to create suspense and excitement. Not here. The action scenes are well-executed and exciting, and Howard keeps the story moving at a fast enough clip that we aren't given enough pause to remember that we know what's going to happen next. In general terms, at least. We know that Han, Chewie and Lando survive, but the others? Who knows?
I suppose I should have some measure of sympathy for Alden Ehrenreich, who has such a daunting task in front of him. But the truth is, he's uneven. He has his moments, but there are definitely times when he overplays his role and he rarely seems to be like Harrison Ford in the original trilogy. Chris Pine, who is often compared to Ford in his other roles, would have been a better choice. Emilia Clarke is much better, possibly because she's playing a new creation and not trying to recreate such a famous character. Woody Harrelson does his thing. Donald Glover is perhaps a bit too flamboyant as Lando, but he's not bad.
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" was never going to be as iconic as the original trilogy. It's a spin-off and should be viewed as such. It has enough action and heart to keep us engaged, some comedy (usually from Lando's robotic companion L3-37, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and good old-fashioned adventure. Most importantly, it feels like "Star Wars." You can't ask for much more than that.
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